Rant: My plain text emails outsold the fancy ones

Everyone says you need flashy graphics and videos in emails to get clicks, but I stuck with simple text for our product launch. We saw a 15% higher open rate and more replies from customers asking questions. It felt more like a real conversation, which built trust. Small win, but it made me rethink our whole email plan.

4 comments

4 Comments

finleyl391mo ago

Our Mailchimp data always shows segmented lists with product images pull way better. Honestly think it depends completely on your audience.

the_aaron1mo agoMost Upvoted

Images exclude folks using screen readers or slow connections.

the_kai1mo ago

Poor service ruins more than just email opens. Last week, a promo email took forever to load on my phone. A text version would have been fine and saved my time.

wade771mo ago

Plain text often works because it cuts through the noise. @the_aaron is onto something about accessibility, but it's also about tone. That Mailchimp data on images might just be tracking opens, not the actual trust that leads to a sale. Replies and questions, like the original post mentioned, show a real connection. Fancy emails can feel like shouting at people, but a simple message feels like someone actually typed it to you. Would you trust a personal note or a glossy ad more?